A Gift in the Guise of a Volunteer

Green thumbs are not easy to come by. (We at HP can attest to killing cactus, even though we were told that couldn’t be done.) Creative visual splendor feeds our soul, and as such, Arlington Garden has become beloved to many in the community.

But green thumbs don’t always share a trowel with financial acumen. Enter The Jericho Road Project that pairs nonprofit organizations with professionals wanting to donate their time and knowledge. Here we shall introduce the heroine of our post, Judy Gain, a recent retiree from Avery Dennison after a career at the U.S. Treasury Department. She has volunteered to assist Arlington Garden founders Betty and Charles McKenney in “developing more robust accounting documents and procedures.”

The McKenney’s goal is to have Arlington Gardens become a permanent fixture of Pasadena’s extensive landscape, and having their financial documents in ship shape will go a long way to achieving that.

The “water-wise” garden was built to co-exist and thrive in our Mediterranean climate, and over 400 trees have been planted since 2005. In the fall, leaves of the pomegranate, sycamore, crape myrtle, Chinese Pistache and cottonwood fill the scene with splashes of bright red and yellow. A “riot” of color arrives in spring by way of purple lilac verbena, Blooming Western redbuds, California fuschia, climbing roses and a variety of colorful succulents. Plants are chosen, in part, to attract butterflies and birds, which add to the ambience of the setting.

With the help of volunteers like Judy Gain, Arlington Garden will find its financial foothold and be free to feed our natural inclination for serenity and stimulation for decades to come.

Volunteers are welcome Tuesday mornings, 9 a.m. – noon, to be trained by a Constant Gardener, and then may come and plant, prune, rake or weed at their pleasure.

Arlington GardenLocated at the corner of Arlington Dr. and Pasadena Ave.
Open every day from dawn until dusk; street parking available
For more info, call 626.441.4478 or visit the Arlington Garden website